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“In terms of what caused the incident, that’s still under investigation.”
Ottawa firefighter Jeff Dean died Wednesday in a parachute jump tragedy at Arnprior Airport. Photo by Ottawa Fire Services / Handout
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An Ottawa firefighter and father of two died Wednesday in what police described as a “skydiving accident” at Arnprior Airport.
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Paramedics were called to the Parachute Ottawa site at the airport just before 1 p.m., Renfrew Paramedic Chief Mike Nolan said.
When paramedics arrived, they found workers and others attempting CPR. They took over but it became clear that the patient was unresponsive and the patient was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police were also called to the scene and officers could be seen Wednesday afternoon in a field near the Parachute Ottawa Skydiving Centre. Police tape has surrounded the site.
“In terms of what appears to have caused the incident, that’s still under investigation,” said Const. Brianna Roberge, spokeswoman for the Renfrew detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police, told this newspaper Wednesday evening.
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The Renfrew and Arnprior OPP detachments, the Renfrew OPP Crime Squad, the OPP Forensic Identification Squad and the provincial Ministry of Labor were investigating on Wednesday.
Investigators at the scene of the skydiving tragedy at Arnprior Airport on Wednesday. Photo by Jean Levac / Postmedia
Ottawa Fire Chief Paul Hutt released a statement on the death of firefighter Jeffrey Dean Wednesday night. This newspaper confirmed that Dean was the man who died in the parachute accident, and an OPP media release identified him as a 45-year-old resident of Fitzroy Harbor.
Dean worked at Station 12 at Fifth Avenue and O’Connor Street. He joined the Ottawa Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter in 2010 and became a full-time member of the service two years later.
In addition to his firefighting work, Hutt said Dean is a “dedicated volunteer” with an OFS program for teenagers interested in firefighting, as well as a “loving husband and father of two.”
“I would like to send my deepest condolences to his family, friends and family at this difficult time,” Hutt said.
Parachute Ottawa did not respond to requests for comment by deadline, but the company’s website says its drop zone is located at Arnprior Airport and the landing area covers nearly 400,000 square feet.
Founded in 2018, the company touts a team of instructors with more than 185,000 jumps of combined experience and “expertise that includes first jumps (tandems), civilian freefall, canopy training and military training,” according to the website.
Parachute Ottawa is based at Arnprior Airport. Photo by Jean Levac / Postmedia
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